A reserved matters application submitted by Royal Holloway University of London and put before the committee on Wednesday (August 5), proposed 19 blocks of three to four storey town houses to the north of the A30 either side of Harvest Road.

The plan also includes an amenity and management building, energy centre, cycle and bin stores.

The town houses are to be built in time for the September 2016 intake of students.

The development site incorporates land mainly between Harvest Road and Chestnut Drive, measuring just over two hectares and encompassing historic buildings The Beeches, Elm Lodge and biological science green houses that will be demolished.

A much smaller site, to the west of Harvest Road, also covers 0.1 hectares and contains a postgraduate accommodation building, is also to be demolished.

Chestnut Drive resident of 29 years, Patrick Donegan said the council’s decision was ‘very upsetting’.

“We have done our protest,” he said. “I think most people just felt it would go ahead whatever.”

Mr Donegan said residents were particularly concerned about the planned demolition of Elm Lodge and The Beeches.

“They are old buildings and people can’t see why they can’t be renovated,” he said.

A letter from the Victorian Society, sent to the council in May, also objects to the destruction of The Beeches, which was built in 1898.

The university's amended masterplan

Mr Donegan feared the character of Englefield Green would be changed by a further influx of students, deterring families from buying property in the area and potentially forcing current home owners to move.

“It’s very upsetting, nothing stays the same forever, we have to accept that,” he said.

“They (Royal Holloway) are saying it’s progress but not as far as the village is concerned.

“There will probably be fewer families living on the green as time goes by and people will buy up houses to let.”

Mr Donegan, who lives with his wife, said they would be thinking about down sizing and moving out of the area.